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Orthodontics are typically used to help improve the overall appearance of a person’s smile by helping to correct misaligned, crooked or poorly spaced teeth. In the not too distant past, the options available were limited to various types of braces, but as technology has improved there are a number of effective and innovative treatments available.

Fixed braces remain a popular choice, largely thanks to their effectiveness and relatively low cost. Modern dental braces are far less conspicuous that the older styles, and are relatively unobtrusive when it comes to eating and cleaning your teeth. They involve small, non-removable brackets which are glues to the teeth and connected together with wires.

Fixed braces are usually used when a significant alteration to the alignment of a tooth is required. Some cosmetic dentists will offer ceramic or clear plastic braces to patients, but these will generally be more expensive than traditional metal braces.

Removable braces are also available, typically in the form of a custom made retainer that sits in the roof of your mouth. It can be removed easily to allow you to clean your teeth, however they should only be removed during cleaning or during activities like playing sports. Removable braces are only really used for making very minor alterations to tooth alignment, and generally won’t suffice when large changes are needed.

One of the more innovative treatments on the market is Invisalign, which is usually offered by cosmetic dentists. It involves being fitted for a set of custom made retainers, which are 3D printed specifically for the patient. Each retainer is used for around 2 weeks before being replaced with another, until the desired result is achieved. The real selling point is that the retainers are practically invisible, meaning no one would ever know you were wearing them.

Functional appliances are used with patients occasionally to help fix minor problems. These involve a set of retainers which sit over the top and bottom teeth, and which can be removed to allow you to clean your teeth properly. They are usually joined together or are designed to interact with each other in some way, and while they are less popular choices than the others they do serve a purpose.

Most people with functional appliances will need to wear them all the time, except when cleaning their teeth or eating. The orthodontist will typically give some advice on when to wear it and how often – failing to follow this advice will usually mean the treatment is unsuccessful.

Some patients will require headgear, which isn’t a treatment in itself but it often works in conjunction with other orthodontic equipment. Headgear is generally work overnight, and it works to help keep the back teeth in position while the front teeth are being treated.

If you have crooked or misaligned teeth, orthodontic treatment may be the answer you’re looking for. It has been used to successfully treat millions of patients around the world for decades, and the recent advancements in treatment make it more effective than ever.

It is unfortunate when patients have to visit a dentist in a desperate attempt to find a solution towards the inevitability of losing most of their natural teeth. Dentists who see that the patient stands to lose most, if not all, their original teeth, usually turn to the most obvious and traditional solution, which is the traditional dentures.

The reality of traditional dentures

Dentures have been around for many years now, and yet as a long term solution it falls short in every aspect. They may be a cheap solution, but dentures will never make you look good, they never fit well, don’t last long, everyone who gets close enough to look at you eat or talk will know that you’re wearing dentures. The fact that it’s cheap means that it’s just that, cheap, meaning that it won’t be a long term solution to replace all your lost teeth.

Why dentures fail

Though a technological marvel when first invented, the shortcomings of dentures have been overlooked for so many years because nothing better could replace it. Instead, dentists and orthodontists attempted to solve denture’s shortcomings with short remedies that did nothing to improve the denture’s overall performance. Dentures are only held in the mouth by passive retention. When dentures are made, dentists take impressions of the mouth and the dentures are fabricated precisely to fit the gums. The only real thing that holds down (or up) dentures are adhesives or pastes to keep them in place the whole day. However, even with adhesives, dentures tend to flop around.

A revolution begins with All on 4

All on 4 or Ao4 is a revolutionary procedure to replace a full set of teeth that is reliable, won’t flop around, and even when someone lifts up your lower or upper lip, they will think that you have a healthy set of teeth, and not dentures. Ao4 is an advanced dental procedure that uses specially designed dental implants to firmly anchor the new replacement teeth.

Why All on 4 succeeds where dentures have failed

Ao4 is a surgical procedure as the final option for people who have lost the majority of their teeth. The surgical technique involves the exact placement of titanium implants in the mouth that act as permanent anchors for a full dental bridge. The four dental implants that give support to the bridge is what also gives the technique its sobriquet.

Because the Ao4 only requires 4 dental implants, the procedure only needs minimal overall treatment time and reduced recovery time. On the day of the implant placement the dentist can install temporary provisional teeth that looks and functions like natural teeth and can make you actually bite into food and have a good smile. Healing period is usually pegged at 3 – 6 months.

The cost of Ao4 is usually between $14,000 to $18,000 plus. Ao4 treatments should carry some form of warranty and most dental clinics and dental spas have patient payment plans.

In the greater Atlanta area, a buckhead dentist has been doing an excellent job in mouth reconstruction at affordable prices.